Packaging device for food products and the like



May 24, 1960 c. w. wALToN ETAL 2,937,800

PACKAGING DEVICE ECR Eoon PRODUCTS AND THE LIKE Filed May 28. 1958 /NV EN TOR.

DEVICE FOR FOOD PRODUCTS AND THE LIKE Charles W. Walton and vKenneth T. Buttery, Kalamazoo,

Mich., assignors, by mesne assignments, -to KVP Sutherland Paper Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 28, 1958, Ser. No. 738,349

Claims. (Cl. 229-87) PACKAGING This invention relates vto a packaging device for food v93.7.8110 l Patented May 24, .1960

posed to or remote from the side edge to which `the side top panel 3 is hingedly connected v 4 The end top members are separated from the ends of `the bottom` panel, excepty through the connection of the hinge .afforded by the corner vflaps 6 and the hinge con- ICC 7 nections y9, the packagingy device having slits 10` therein products such, for example, as sliced bacon and the em bodiment of our invention illustrated is adapted primarily for such use. The main objects of this invention are,

First, Ato provide a packaging device which may be formed integrally of a sheet of paperboard or the like and rapidly manipulated to package the material and provide an effective support therefor to receive a wrapper desirably of transparent heat scalable material.

Second, to provide a packaging device having these advantages which is well adapted to receive and support material which when assembled is of substantially varying thickness, the material overlapping parts presenting substantially ilat surfaces as `distinguished from tilted surfaces.

Third, to provide a packaging device which may be easily and rapidly adjusted to fully erected position.

Fourth, to provide a packaging device having these advantages wh-ich may be economically produced and rapidly manipulated.

Objects rela-ting to details and economies ofthe invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is deiined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, Vin which:

' Fig. l is a perspective view of a packaging device embodying'our invention in erected position, strips of bacon being conventionally illustrated.

. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on a line corresponding to line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the product omitted.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the packing device in full lines in partially erected position and in another position by dotted lines, illustrating steps in the erecting of the device.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating further steps in the erecting of the device, certain parts being conventionally shown.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view on a line corresponding to line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the packaging device in the extended form.

The embodiment of our invention illustrated is particularly adapted for the packaging of strips of bacon conventionally illustrated at 1 in Fig. l. 'I'he device is formed integrally of a sheet of paperboard which is cut and scored to provide the bottom panel 2, a side top member 3 and end top members 4. The side top member 3 is hingedly connected to the bottom panel by the hinging score 5. The end top members 4 are hingedly connected to the ends of the side top member by the corner aps 6 which are hingedly connected to the end edges of the side top member 3 at 7 and hingedly connected to the adjacent ends of the end top members 4 by the hinging score 8. The end top members are hingedly connected by the relatively short hinging scores 9 to the end edges of the -bottom panel adjacent its side edge opextending between these hinge connections which permits the endtop members to bow upwardly to receive or accommodate the packaged material as is illustrated in Fig. l. The side and end top members are held in their erected position by tongue and slot engaging means comprising the tongues 11 which are formed on the end edges of the end top members and hingedly connected thereto by the hinging scores 12. These hinging scores, it will be noted, are disposed diagonally, the tongues beving swingable on these hinging scores. The tongues have outwardly curved edges 13 and are inwardly offset somewhat from the corner flap hinging scores 8, see Fig. 6.

The end top members have V-shaped notches 14 in their outer edges which define the tips of the tongues 15, the tongues in eiect constituting hooks. They are engageable with the slits 16 properly positioned in the side top members to receive the tongues. These slits have angled outer end portions and have loops or curved inner end portions 17 which facilitate the engagement of the tongues with the side top members, the portions 17 enabling the deflection of the portion of the side top members at the outer sides of the vslits to receive the tongues. The angularly disposed portions 18 of the slits in eiert define `'keepers with which the tip portions of.

the tongue are interlockingly engaged.

The packing device of our invention may be very economically produced. In use the packaged Vmaterial such as represented at 1 is positioned upon the bottom panel, the side top members swung to erected position or overlapping position relative to the product, and the end top members swung to overlapping position and the tongues thereof may be quickly and easily engaged. The

end top panels are free to -bow outwardly to overlie or embrace the packaged material as is shown in Fig.4 1.

The relatively short hinge 9 is not subjected to tearing stress during the erecting operation and the corner ap hinge connections -for the adjacent ends of the end top members Iwith ,the side top members permitting vrelative flexing of the ltop members for the engagement of the retaining tongues. As stated, it is the general practice to wrap the packaged material ina transparent wrapper and the packaged material is supportedly retained for such wrapping operation.

We have 4illustrated and described our invention in a highly practical commercial embodiment thereof especially designed for the packaging of strips of bacon. We have not attempted to illustrate and describe the various other adaptations of our invention as it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt our invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A packaging device formed of paperboard cut and scored to provide a rectangular bottom panel, a side top member hinged to a side edge of the bottom panel, end top members having their end edges adjacent to the end edges of the side top member connected thereto by corner flaps which are hingedly connected to the end edges of both said side and end top members and foldable atwise therebetween, the end top members also having relatively short hinge connections to the end edges of the bottom panel adjacent the side edge thereof remote from that to which said top member is hingedly connected, the end top members being otherwise free from the end edges of the bottom panel permitting upward bowing of 3 the end top members between their said connections to the side top member and bottom panel, said end top members having hinged tongues on their end edges adjacent said side top member and disposed outwardly of said corner aps, said tongues having curved outer edges, said end top members having notches in their outer side edges defining the tips of the tongues, said side top members having angled diagonally disposed tongue receiving slits therein, the slits terminating at the inner ends in outwardly facing looplike portions facilitating the interlocking engagement of the tongues with the side top members.

2. A packaging device formed of paperboard cut andscored to provide a rectangular bottom panel, a side top member hinged to a side edge of the bottom panel, end top members having their end edges adjacent to the end edges of the side top member connected thereto by corner flaps which are hingedly connected to the end edges of both said side and end top members and foldable atwise therebetween, the end top members also having relatively short hinge connections to the end edges of the bottom panel adjacent the side edge thereof remote from that to which said top member is hingedly connected, the end top members being otherwise free from the end edges of the bottom panel permitting upward bowing of the end top members between their said connections to the side top member and bottom panel, said end top members having hinged tongues on their end edges adjacent said side top member and disposed outwardly of said corner flaps, said end top members having notches in their outer side edges defining ythe tips of the tongues, said side top members having tongue receiving slits therein.

3. A packaging device formed of paperboard cut and scored to provide a rectangular bottom panel, a side top member hinged to a side edge of the bottom panel, an end top member having its end edge connected to the adjacent end edge of the side top member by a cornerA flap which is hingedly connected to the end edges of both said side and end top members and foldable atwise therebetween, the end top member also having a relatively short hinge connection to the end edge of the bottom panel adjacent the side edge thereof remote from that to which said top member is hingedly connected, the end top member being otherwise free from the end edge of the bottom panel permitting upward bowing of the end top member between its said connection to the side top member and bottom panel, said end top member having a hinged tongue on its end edge disposed outwardly of said corner flap, said tongue having a curved outer edge, said end top member having a notch in its outer side edge defining the tip of the tongue, said side top member hav- 4 ing an angled diagonally disposed tongue receiving slit therein, the slit terminating at its inner end in an outwardly facing loop-like portion facilitating the interlocking engagement of the tongue with the side top member.

4. A packaging device formed of paperboard cut and scored to provide a rectangular bottom panel, a side top member hinged to a side edge of the bottom panel, an end top member having its end edge connected to the adjacent end edge of the side top member -by a corner ap which is hingedly connected to the end edges of both said side and end top members and foldable atwise therebetween, the end top member also having a relatively short hinge connection to the end edge of the bottom panel adjacent the side edge thereof remote from that to which said top member is hingedly connected, the end top member being otherwise free from the end edge of the 4bottom panel permitting upward bowing of the end top member between its said connection to the side top member and bottom panel, said end top member having a tongue on its end edge disposed outwardly of said corner flap, said end top member having a notch in its outer side edge delining the tip of the tongue, said side top member having a tongue receiving slit therein.

5. A packaging device formed of paperboard cut and scored to provide a rectangular bottom panel, a side top member hinged to a side edge of the bottom panel, an end top member having its end edge connected to the adjacent end edge of the side top member by a corner ap which is hingedly connected to the end edges of both said side and end top members and foldable atwise therebetween, the end top member also having a relatively short hinge connection to the end edge of the bottom panel adjacent the side edge thereof remote from that to which said top member is hingedly connected, the end top member being otherwise free from the end edge of the bottom panel permitting upward bowing of the end top member between its said connection to the side top member and bottom panel, said end top member having a tongue on its end edge disposed outwardly of said corner ap, said side top member having a tongue receiving slit therein.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,527,685 Roush Oct. 31, 1950 2,753,107 Ringler July 3, 1956 2,761,614 Zinser Sept. 4, 1956 2,768,779 Bonini Oct. 30, 1956 

